Gabon

There is very little information available on the private security industry in Gabon, however it was reported in 2015 that there were an estimated 7,000 PSC personnel employed in the country compared to the Gabonese military consisting of 5,000 personnel. The size of the sector is most likely a result of high crime rates in largers cities, particularly Libreville.

Main law regulating private security: NO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE LAW REGARDING PRIVATE SECURITY COULD BE FOUND

Summary

Little information is available on the private security industry in Gabon. An estimate from 2015 nevertheless indicated that the private security sector in Gabon would employ around 7,000 PSC personnel, indicating that it is a significant actor in the Gabonese security landscape. Gabon suffers from high crime rates, including crimes such as larceny, robberies, assassinations, and human trafficking. Incidence of crime are worst in big cities, particularly the capital Libreville. A large proportion of the Gabonese population reports that they do not feel completely safe in their own neighborhoods and homes.[ii]

Gabon’s military is made up of 5,000 personnel, including the Army, Navy, Airforce, and the Gendarmerie. The Gendarmerie is the national police force under the direction of the President of Gabon.

Legal Framework

*No information on national legislation regarding private security companies could be found.

Members of the Private Security Governance Observatory:

• Brainforest – Coalition PWYP 

[i] Mounombou, Stevie. “Après le mouvement d'humeur des agents de La SGS : Retour à la sérénité.” Gabon Review. Gabonreview.com, April 8, 2015. http://gabonreview.com/blog/apres-le-mouvement-dhumeur-des-agents-de-la-sgs-retour-a-la-serenite/.

[ii] Wali Wali, Christian. “ La majorité des Gabonais estiment que leur sécurité personnelle s’est dégradée” Afrobaromètre. Afrobaromètre, November 15, 2018. https://www.afrobarometer.org/publications/ad256-la-majorite-des-gabonais-estiment-que-leur-securite-personnelle-sest-degradee.